South Africans spend less on vegetables than they do on beer – Stats SA

A recent report by Statistics South Africa has found that South Africans really love their beer

The world celebrated International Beer Day last month, and in commemoration, Statistics South Africa released a report which showed how much South Africans spent on the beverage.

According to the report, South Africans really love their beer – more than any other type of alcohol, including wine and spirits. The report reveals that both rural and urban areas saw a 0,3% increase in the price of beer in June 2017 from June 2016.

“The average price of a single 330ml bottle or can, for example, was R11,86 in June 2017, the same as what it would’ve cost you in January 2017. If you prefer to buy in bulk, the average price for a six-pack of 330ml bottles or cans was R61,27 in June 2017, R1,49 cheaper than the price recorded for January,” the report said.

Beer is relatively inexpensive. The report showed that it’s most expensive in the Western Cape, with the average price of a 330ml beer can at around R13,77. The cheapest beer can be found in the Free State.

“Beer is the most popular choice in all provinces. Households in Mpumalanga are great fans: they spend 71% of their alcoholic beverage budgets on beer. Northern Cape is in second spot (66%), followed by North West (64%). Despite being the most popular choice, beer faces some competition from wine and spirit coolers in Western Cape and spirits in Eastern Cape,” Stats SA said.

In fact, South African households spend more on beer than they do on vegetables, sweets and desserts, fruit and tobacco. To be specific, beer accounts for about 2,1% of a household’s total spending – this is the same percentage that’s spent on personal care. Vegetables make up 1,5% of the entire household budget; sweets and desserts make up 0,7% and fruit 0,3%.